


New World

by talesofsymphoniac



Series: Richass Aladdin AU [2]
Category: Tales of Graces, Tales of Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Aladdin (1992) Fusion, First Kiss, Richass Week 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 10:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7571452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesofsymphoniac/pseuds/talesofsymphoniac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After discovering a genie, Asbel has decided to go back for the Prince of Windor in the guise of Prince Lhant.</p><p>Written for Day Seven of Richass Week: Passion/Mystery</p>
            </blockquote>





	New World

Asbel paced nervously below Richard’s balcony while Pascal and her carpet played off to the side. This wasn’t supposed to have happened like this. His plan was perfect; if he wished to be a prince, he’d be able to see Richard again, and maybe save him from his arranged marriage in the process. Actually being in the castle, though, had made it clear he was out of his depth.

“Prince Richard has seen many potential suitors,” the King had said, studying Asbel intently in a way that made him itch. “What makes you think he’ll accept your proposal?”

Asbel had stood up tall and said with false bravado and awkwardly formal language, “Your Majesty, Prince Richard has not yet met me. Do not worry; I shall win him over.” Richard had stepped out of the shadows then, coldly condemned them for deciding his future without him even being present.

Thinking of it, Asbel groaned, putting his head in his hands. He’d been so nervous, talking to the King, and he’d said such stupid things. No wonder Richard was furious. If he could just talk to Richard privately, explain things, maybe he wouldn’t get so flustered this time. Still, he had to admit he didn’t have much faith in this plan.

“What am I doing?” Asbel turned toward Pascal, hoping she’d somehow have the answer. “There’s no way Richard will even let me talk to him after the things he heard me say. I should have known this prince wish was a bad idea.”

Pascal, distracted from her game, moved to fling an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, Asbel, you’re exaggerating. Look, here’s the deal, alright? You wanna get with Prince Charming up there, all you’ve gotta do is be a straight shooter, you follow me?” She looked at Asbel expectantly.

“Um… what?”

She sighed. “Asbel. You’re just going to have to tell him the truth, okay?”

Asbel pushed her away. “I can’t do that! If Richard found out I was really some street rat... he’d laugh at me.” His shoulders hunched.

“Hey, a dude appreciates someone who can make him laugh,” Pascal joked. “Seriously though, you really should just be yourself.”

Asbel crossed his arms. “That’s the last thing I want to be right now, Pascal.”

“Oh, come on! You were saying you got along well before, right?”

“That’s true…” Asbel trailed off. Rationally, he knew Richard probably wouldn’t laugh at him or spurn him. He was a kinder person than that. But there was no way he’d be able to see him again once he knew, no way anyone here would ever take him seriously. He shook himself off, standing up straight, brushing off his royal attire and straightening the cuffs. “Alright, I’m going to try to talk to him. I’ve just gotta stay focused.” He turned to Pascal. “How do I look?”

Pascal rolled her eyes. “Like a prince.”

He nodded to himself. “Good.” He stepped onto the carpet, and they flew through the night up to Richard’s balcony. He had left the door leading outside open, and Asbel could see Richard, slumped in his bed, looking forlorn. He took a deep breath. “Prince Richard?”

Richard sprang up, instantly on edge. Asbel cursed himself under his breath; he certainly hadn’t intended to scare him. Richard narrowed his eyes, looking around the room suspiciously. “Who’s there?” he called, cautiously approaching the balcony door, not quite stepping outside.

“It’s me,” Asbel said, giving an awkward wave. “Prince Lhant.”

For a moment, Richard just looked shocked, and Asbel realized he was still floating on the magic carpet. Soon, though, he turned away angrily. “I don’t wish to see you. Please leave now.”

“No, no, please, I just wanted a chance to talk to you!” Asbel called desperately.

Richard didn’t move. “You snuck onto my balcony. You clearly knew I didn’t want to speak with you. I asked you to leave me alone,” he said, a warning edge in his voice.

“I know,” Asbel said quickly. “Just let me... I wanted to apologize for what I said before. I was trying to… but it was really, really stupid.”

Richard scoffed. “Do you know how many people like you have come here? They’re all the same, trying to ‘win’ my hand, my wealth, my kingdom. Even the ones who are kind are only so for their own benefit. You may say you’re sorry, Prince Lhant, but that doesn’t mean anything to people like you, does it?”

Asbel didn’t speak. Richard’s posture and tone were angry, but looking into his eyes, Asbel only saw hurt. He had assumed that the palace life was nothing but luxury, but this constant fear of betrayal and manipulation was what Richard had lived with on a daily basis. He’d even tried to run away from it. _Maybe,_ Asbel thought wildly, _it would have been better for Richard if I’d wished that he hadn’t been born a prince._

Richard was glaring at him, as if daring him to speak. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Asbel began, speaking more quickly as Richard turned away. “But you’re right! You’re more than just some prize. You should be free to… to marry whoever you want.” Asbel looked down. “I didn’t come here to try to convince you or anything. I just wanted a chance to apologize, but I also hoped we could just… talk.”

Richard looked at him over his shoulder, bemused. “Talk?”

Asbel flushed. “Yeah. I mean, I just thought… I wanted a chance to get to know you better.” That part, at least, was true. The whole point of his prince wish was to see Richard again, help him if he could. “You seem kind of... lonely, you know?”

Richard looked at him, still mistrustful. “Is that so.” He paused, then, hesitantly, asked. “Well, if you want to talk so badly, answer me this… how on earth did you get up here?”

Asbel brightened, nodding to the carpet. It moved up, fully on the balcony, and Asbel leapt off it. “Magic carpet.”

Wonder crossed Richard’s face. “Amazing,” he said, reaching out nervously to touch the rug. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did you get it?”

Asbel laughed. “That’s kind of a long story. I found it in a magical cave.”

Richard actually smiled at him, and Asbel suddenly remembered why he had decided to do all this in the first place. “That sounds like a fascinating tale.”

“It wasn’t that cool,” Asbel said, still blushing. “You, uh, you don’t want to go for a ride, do you? We could go… anywhere you like. See the world outside the palace.”

Richard looked at him, clearly tempted despite his caution. “Is it safe?”

“Sure it is!” Asbel said cheerfully. “Do you trust me?”

He wasn’t sure what to call the look Richard gave him. “What did you say?”

“Do you trust me?” he said again, offering a hand to the prince, who was studying his face far more closely than he had over the course of their conversation.

A flash of some understanding seemed to flicker in his eyes, and Asbel worried for a moment that he’d been found out. Instead, though, Richard accepted his hand, a wide grin spreading across his face, and Asbel decided he had nothing to fear as long as he could keep Richard looking like that.

“Yes,” he said, and Asbel led him on the carpet, and they took off into the night sky, leaving the palace far behind.

* * *

 

Hours later, Asbel couldn’t remember why he’d been so nervous before. He was having the time of his life, seeing the incredible sights of far-away lands that he’d always wondered about. Richard, too, seemed to be enjoying himself, at ease in a way Asbel hadn’t seen from him yet. He wasn’t scared and cautious, as he had been when they first met, and he wasn’t angry and closed-off, as he had been earlier in the day. Instead, he eagerly pointed out what he thought was beautiful so Asbel could see it too, and they talked excitedly about the places they’d seen.

At one point, Richard even mentioned that a certain landscape would probably look gorgeous in the winter, and that they should return when it snowed. Asbel felt his heart flutter at the thought, and Richard might have been able to tell, because he blushed and quickly looked back to the landscape below.

Now, they were perched on a rooftop, watching a fireworks show in some unknown nation. Richard leaned back on his hands, an untroubled smile on his face. Asbel couldn’t help admiring the way he looked, his cheerfulness lighting his countenance even more beautifully than the fireworks.

“I never thought I would get to see anything like this. It’s all so… magical.”

Asbel found himself unwilling to resist the urge to get closer still. He wondered if Richard would mind if he just reached out a little bit to rest his hand over his, a physical expression of their shared contentment. “It really is. I’m glad you decided to come with me.”

“Me too,” Richard said gently, eyes shining. “Thank you for taking me, Asbel.”

“It’s no problem, Richard,” Asbel said, daring to reach for Richard’s hand before realizing his mistake. He nearly fell over himself in shock, just barely managing to catch himself on his hands. “That is, I--” he stuttered, trying to think of a believable lie quickly, before relenting, falling flat against the roof and burying his face in his hands. “Dammit.”

“You are Asbel, aren’t you?” Richard said, and while he wasn’t angry, as he had been at the palace, his face had gone hard. “Why would you lie about who you are?”

“Richard, I’m sorry,” Asbel began.

“Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out? Do you really think that little of me?”

“No, it’s not like that at all!” Asbel insisted. “I mean, I hoped you wouldn’t, but… I was going to tell you! I just…”

“Asbel, who are you?” Richard asked the question firmly. “Tell me the truth.”

“The… the truth…” Asbel trailed off. Immediately, he thought of a somewhat believable lie. He could say that he was a prince, and only dressed as a peasant to escape from the pressures of palace life. Richard would have to believe that; after all, he’d tried to do the same thing. But even as the words were on his lips, he couldn’t bring himself to go through with it. He’d already lied to Richard, and that had been hard enough, but now? He’d just seen how Richard had been lied to all his life, one way or another. How could he bear to keep up his facade, know that he knew the consequences?

Could he tell Richard? Would he understand? Only one way to find out. Asbel took a deep breath. “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but… you’re right. I’m not a prince. When we met in the market… that was me.”

Richard looked pained. “I’m sorry I was unable to save you from prison,” he said, looking down. “I tried, I really did. They… they said you’d been executed.”

Asbel placed a hand on Richard’s shoulder and squeezed gently, trying to comfort him. “It’s not your fault,” he insisted.

Richard met his eyes. “How did you escape?”

Asbel slouched. The fireworks had stopped, and the night was becoming quiet. “There was an old man, and he showed me the way out. In exchange, he wanted me to go into some cave and get him a lamp.”

Richard frowned. “A lamp?”

Asbel let go of Richard and leaned back on his hands. “Yeah. I went in this cave, and it was full of treasure. But the old man said I was only allowed to touch the lamp. I found out why, later; I accidentally bumped into a statue and the whole cave collapsed on itself. I did find the lamp, though. The carpet too, actually.”

Richard absentmindedly pet the magic carpet beneath them. “So that’s how,” he murmured. “You did say it was a long story.”

“Exactly.”

“So, I suppose you used the carpet to escape and then the riches to become Prince Lhant?”

Asbel scratched the back of his neck. “Not exactly,” he admitted. “Most of the treasure was buried. But that lamp… oh, what am I saying? You’re never going to believe this… the lamp had a genie in it.”

“A genie?” Richard repeated, an odd smile on his face as though he wasn’t sure he was supposed to laugh. “Like, the wish-granting kind?”

“Yeah,” Asbel closed his eyes. “She’s kind of weird, but she’s nice enough. She’d probably love to meet you.”

Richard furrowed his brows. “So, you met a genie, and she offered you wishes. So you wished to become a prince?”

“Well… yeah.” Asbel glanced over at Richard, whose face was a blank slate. “I wanted to see you again.”

“Why?”

Asbel paused, considering the question. “Well… you saved me from those knights, after all. And you tried to save me from prison. And…” He blushed, wondering how to phrase this without Richard getting the wrong idea… or maybe the right idea, Asbel couldn’t decide anymore. “I thought maybe if I was a prince, I could help you. You seemed so sad when we met. So Pascal-- that’s the name of the genie-- made me a prince.”

He groaned. “And then I got nervous and said all those stupid things, and I thought after all that I wouldn’t even get to see you.” Richard actually chuckled at that, and Asbel did his best to mirror him; he was relieved that Richard had apparently forgiven him for his earlier behavior.

“Well, it all worked out, didn’t it?” Richard nudged him playfully. “Though it would have been much easier had you just told me all of this right away, don’t you think?”

Asbel sighed. “That’s what Pascal said, too. I just thought… I don’t know. I’m really just a commoner, you know? I have no business in the castle, trying to talk to the Crown Prince.”

Richard shook his head. “I would have been delighted to see you, Asbel,” he said with a fond smile. “It would have been a relief just to know that you were alive.” He paused. “Although… the situation being what it is now, we should probably just continue with your facade and keep this a secret from my father and uncle.”

Asbel’s eyes widened, and he flung himself back up to a sitting position. “You mean…?”

This time it was Richard who took Asbel’s hand. “I’d like you to stay a bit longer, Asbel,” he said, and Asbel was once again entranced by the warmth of his smile.

* * *

 

 

It was nearly morning when they returned to the palace. The carpet guided Richard back to his balcony, and Asbel assisted him in dismounting. Though Richard was back on solid ground, he kept a hold of Asbel’s hand, reluctant to let go. Asbel felt much the same.

Slowly, carefully, Asbel raised their linked hands to his lips. “Goodnight, Prince Richard,” he said softly, his heart beating wildly.

Richard made no movement, and for a moment Asbel was again afraid he’d overstepped. Before he could apologize, however, Richard drew him forward and kissed him, just a brief peck. Asbel was unable to speak, but his dazed expression and bright red blush was confirmation enough that the action had not been unwelcome.

“Goodnight, Asbel.” His cheeks had a rosy tint, further impairing Asbel’s speaking ability. He gave him one last fond smile before making his way back to his room. The carpet floated Asbel back down to the ground, and it was only then that Asbel fully processed what had just happened.

He couldn’t keep the grin from stretching across his face. For once in his life, things had turned out perfectly.

**Author's Note:**

> I veered a little off the tracks of the Disney movie at the end, there, I know. I just didn't think Asbel would have it in him to lie again after he saw how much it affected Richard. I thought about it, and I figure if I ever wanted to come back to this AU, it would still follow the lines of the movie pretty closely, even with that change.


End file.
